Cardinals wide receiver Andre Roberts steps up with big game in 2013 opener

He had shown flashes throughout the first three years of his NFL career, but until Sunday, Andre Roberts hadn’t exactly made a definitive case to be the Arizona Cardinals’ No. 2 receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald.

Call it the product of having another year of experience or the result of having a competent quarterback behind center, but Roberts opened 2013 with a bang and a bit of a coming out party in Arizona’s 27-24 loss to St. Louis Sunday, grabbing eight passes for a team-high 97 yards.

Of his eight catches, four came during third down situations.

“I’m sure I had every single one of them,” Roberts said of his confidence on the field. “That’s what I want to do for my quarterback. Any time he throws me the ball, I want to come down with it.”

The former Citadel standout did just that, as he converted on eight of nine passes thrown his way — including several that required athletic dives to the turf.

Big game or not, Roberts still didn’t sound too impressed with himself or the team after the game.

“There were a few touch catches,” said Roberts. “But at the end of the day, all I do is look at the scoreboard. [The catches] are all for naught, we’re trying to win the game.”

For a first game, though, Roberts, who had a career-high 759 yards receiving and five touchdowns in 2012, admitted there were some positives to take away from the loss — at least in the passing game.

“It was pretty good,” said Roberts. “Obviously, we could do better. We always want to do better and left some things out there. But right now we just want to work and get better. It was just our first game.”